Hampshire Things to Do

We could not have asked for a better day. Just caught more or less the last lift at 5.30pm (surprised at the early closure – no sunset viewing except during the winter months). And what views: the Isle of Wight to the south, Southampton on the horizon to the west, Old Portsmouth and distant Selsey to the east. But it’s not just about distant views...

Ringwood is an old market town situated on the River Avon in the county of Hampshire, the Wednesday Market has been in Ringwood for over 780 years. Ringwood is an unspoilt little town with both traditional and modern shops, street entertainment, restaurants, pubs and cafes. The town is an ideal starting point for anyone planning to visit the New...

The New Forest is an area of southern England that covers south-west Hampshire and also extends into south-east Wiltshire and towards east Dorset. The forest is the largest remaining area of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the south of England. The New Forest was designated a national park in 2005 to give the area the highest level...

Winchester is a cathedral city in central southern England and was historically referred to as Winton or Wintonceastre. Winchester was also the ancient capital of Wessex and England. The city is the county town of Hampshire and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of the River Itchen.Winchester is the burial place of...

Lyndhurst is often referred to as the Capital of the New Forest; the village is in a broadly central location surrounded by the land, and stands at a junction of historic routes. Lyndhurst is also the largest village within the New Forest and is a popular tourist location with many independent shops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants, pubs and...

Mottisfont abbey was a former medieval priory and converted into a mansion later on. You can visit a limited part of the house where there are some nice rooms, especially the Whistler Room, an unusual drawing room with trompe-l'oeil murals decorated by Rex Whistler. Unfortunately you are not allowed to take photos inside.There is a walled garden...

I may live in Hampshire, but I'm minutes away from Aldermaston Wharf in Berkshire.On a sunny afternoon, pay a visit to Aldermaston Wharf and the Butt Inn country pub. It has a car park and serves good food either indoors our outdoors. Afterwards take a short stroll towards the Canal (you can't miss it - 200yds away) and walk off lunch along the...

Near The New Forest is an area which has been named the South’s Family Leisure Park. It is near the M27 on your way towards Totton near Southampton. There’s ample parking & is a great place to visit given that that the weather stays fine. There’s a mini log flume for children. The cars are shaped like seals; there’s a long queue during the summer....

The New Forest Visitor Centre is a must to see. It shows you in moving pictures, of how the forest is season by season.There is a large interactive map intended to allow the tourist to discover some of the major basics of the Forest's account from beginning to end of its natural features. Two touch-screen PC interactives allow people to discover...

Portsmouth may be today a significant port, but by modern standards the city is relatively new. Whilst there were a scattering of homes from Roman times (the main settlement was Portchester - Portus Adorni - across the bay), it wasn't until the end of the 12th century that Portsmouth began to develop as a town/city in its own right. Its location...

Winchester is the former capital of the Kingdom of Wessex and, for approximately 200 years in the 10/11th centuries, capital of England. And this small city oozes history.The cathedral is an obvious draw: it has the longest Nave in a Gothic cathedral in Europe, although something of a stump for a tower. The extensive ruins of the former Bishop's...

Just as with the nearby Titchfield Abbey (see previous tip), Netley Abbey was founded by the Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches in the 13th century, sold off to a private estate following Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, converted to a private residence and then abandoned and partially demolished to create a 'romantic ruin' in the...

A beautiful ruin near the town of Fareham on the Hampshire coast, Titchfield Abbey is now managed by English Heritage.Built in 1222 by the then Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches (who also founded the nearby Netley Abbey - see separate tip - and Halesowen Abbey in Worcestershire), Titchfield was home to canons (as opposed to monks) of the...

Milestones is an undercover museum of history about the rae ranging from the factories to the people who made and let it breath. Bassically it's an open-air museum inside a massive modern building (bit like a hanger)… with streets with shops, a village green and even a pub... dating from Victorian times and the 1930s serving up real alcohol....

We came to Beaulieu for the motor museum. I was glad to find out that the entrance to the motor museum also included the Beaulieu castle and abbey. Only the entrance fee (16 GBP) was rather high in my opinion.Opening hours: 10 am to 5 pm (winter) / 6 pm (summer).This national motor museum contains about 250 cars and motorbikes and is a real must...

One of the most important buildings in Winchester is the cathedral. This 178 m-long cathedral is the largest of England. The oldest part is from the 11th century.It is an impressive and interesting church to visit. There are many commemorative plates and graves of important people.Entrance fee: 4 GBPMore pics can be found in my travelogue.

The New Forest lies south of Winchester and east of Bournemouth. It was formed in 1079 by William the Conqueror as hunting grounds. There are still wild horses running around the area. It's a great area to drive through on your way to the Isle of Wight.

Beaulieu castle used to be the gatehouse of the abbey but since 1538 it belongs to the Montagu family. There is still a member living in this house. Therefore, only a couple of rooms can be visited. There are costumed people telling you about the history of the house. There is also a Victorian flower garden and ornamental kitchen garden that are...

The Army-flying museum at Middle Wallop is great for plane enthusiasts. It’s out on the sticks, but very interesting. There’s a small car park with disabled spaces, close by are flags from every country. Carer’s with disabled people get in free; the price is £3-£5 per person. Opening times are 10.00 am to 4.30 pm, although it’s closed a week before...

The animals that we most like in The New Forest are the Donkeys. Chris and me both love Donkeys, we think that they have very pretty faces. Whilst driving through The New Forest roads, we came upon a couple of Donkeys grazing by the roadside, so I got Chris to stop so that I coud take some photos. As soon as the car stopped and i openend the window...

We love going down to the New forest, some of the scenery isn't particularly pretty, but the Ponies and Donkeys running wild are beautiful!.The first time we saw them, a few weeks ago, made us laugh our heads off, there was a beautiful orange/red Pony sauntering down the right hand side of the road, there were two cars behind him as he gaily walked...

if you are in this area in May this is a definite must do. May / June is the best time to come as all the rhododendrons and azaleas will be in full bloom. The colours are just amazing (see my intro pic). There are little streams, a rose garden and pond. Take along a picnic and enjoy a relaxing day in these beautiful gardens. Exbury is owned by the...

Lymington is to the west of Southampton below the New forest on the coast. it is a very quant little fishing town with pastel coloured houses. At the port you can either take the car ferry to the isle of wight or if you want to go on foot it may be nicer to take one of the smaller boats on the other side of the port (the town side).

Portsmouth is a naval town on the south coast of England. You can take a boat tour of the harbour and see some of the battleships as well as the boat graveyard.The main attraction is the dockyard where you can see some of England's historic Naval ships.The most spectacular is the Mary Rose, built between 1510-1511, lost in 1545. For many years,...

Bigger, faster and more heavily armed than any other warship afloat, Warrior was the world's first iron hulled armoured battleship. She was powered by steam as well as sail and constructed of wrought iron. Almost overnight, Warrior had made every other warship obsolete.You can go below decks and see what life was like on these great ships. The mess...

this is the Royal Navy's most famous warship. She is the world's oldest commissioned ship and a proud memorial to Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain's greatest Naval hero. Lord Nelson was fatally wounded in the Battle of Trafalgar and you can see th eplace where he was supposed to have died

The New Forest Show is a 3-day event held yearly at Brokenhurst, & is well worth seeing if you r in the area. It's an agricultral show with an insight to British farming Life, a chance for all the farmers to show thire livestock off & win a few rosetts. First started in 1921, the show is held during the last week of July. There are many trade...